The Sparks of the Lights

I.

- I've never seen anyone being more beautiful than you. -

The text on a paper napkin that has landed on a table of a man called Joe, read. A wide smile has appeared on his face and his hazel eyes have looked at the author of the napkin-text.

The café that Joe was in was full of unknown people. He was reading a book with a glass of wine in his hand while a young man was looking at him and couldn't just take his eyes off of him.

Joe got a wide smile from the boy from the next table. The smile was way better than the best. He's been sitting there with a few guys around. Joe's been really nervous and has had no clue what was about to happen.

"I'm right there, guys." The boy from the next table said and got up.

"Are you completely sure of what you're up to?" One of his friends asked. The young man looked at the guy he has sent the napkin to and took a deep breath.

"Well, I have lost myself in his eyes so..." He breathed out again and walked straight to Joe's table before taking a rose from a vase he walked around.

"I'm sorry, beautiful. May I...." He couldn't even finish the sentence and Joe let him sit right opposite him. A wide smile and an 'eye-motion' was the signalization.

"Thank you." He sat down before adding: "Oh, by the way, this rose is for you." And he has handed it to Joe who was totally shocked. He smelt the scent of the red rose with his eyes shut down.

"Oh, my god. You're nice, thank you." Joe smiled and got a wide smile in return. The way they smiled at each other was indescribable.

"As I was looking at you from the next table I thought it was just an illusion that you looked so beautiful but now it has made up my mind. You're way more beautiful at close quarters, really." Ben said and Joe's jaw dropped down.

"Oh, gosh, you're crazy, you know?"

"Not crazy but honest. I have drowned myself in your eyes. In your beauty..." Joe couldn't say a single word. He was just looking at him absolutely shocked.

"Don't get me wrong but I haven't caught your name yet..."

"Oh. My bad. It's Benjamin." As he finished the sentence he reached out his hand for the man's one who was sitting in front of him.

"Joe. Nice to meet you." The older man said simply and took Ben's hand.

"My pleasure," Ben said and kissed the back of Joe's hand who found it really sweet and romantic.

"So back to our previous question. Well, no one has ever told me anything like that."

"I'm glad I'm the first one, then. Even if I don't believe anyone has not told you anything like that 'cause I think you're... angelic."

"Honestly, thank you."

Almost two hours have passed but they were talking all the time, laughing. It was clear they understood each other. It's like they were made for each other, literally.

"And what about your life? Like, I mean...if you..." Ben started asking but he found it really embarrassing to ask him about his current status.

"You wanna know if I'm single, am I right?" Joe asked and smiled a little. He read Ben up. He got just a small shy look.

"Well, I'm single for, um.. 10 years now." Ben's eyes widened.

"What? I don't believe you."

"No kidding, my dear. You know... there were a few attempts... you know... they didn't turn out well. Simple said, the attempts sucked." Joe said, looking directly into Ben's eyes.

"Well, you know, I can't understand how could the ones that had the opportunity to be with you just leave you. I would appreciate you, really. I would love being with you all the time and I'd never be over it." Ben stuttered while looking into his eyes. They drove him crazy.

"But I'm too picky, Ben. Actually, I'd hate to make such a mistake again."

Joe looked down, sighing. Ben was thinking for a while about what he has heard from the guy sitting opposite him before saying:

"Well, I don't believe you've had no relationship for 10 years. You cannot be so old." Ben said and leaned on the back, crossing his arms on his chest.

"Believe me or not, but I'm thirty-seven years old." It was kinda shocking for Ben right now. He stopped breathing for a little while. He didn't expect this. At all. And, to be honest, it was rather difficult for Joe to admit his age. He knew Ben was a lot younger.

"Oh, really?! You look much younger. I thought you were just about thirty." They both giggled a bit.

"I don't want to offend you or something. So you're older than me."

"Wow. Don't say. Obviously." Joe said ironically.

"There must be a huge year difference."

Ben started to count and using his fingers to get the right number.

"Fifteen."

"Fifteen? Fifteen what?" Joe said with a blank look on his face.

"Years. There're fifteen years between us."

"Oh my god! Please don't. I feel so old. I can be your father." Joe closed his eyes and covered them with his palm.

"No, wait. I didn't feel like insulting you, I'm sorry. But, no. Hey, it's cute, I mean... you're cute. You look really good for your age."

"You know that's not a compliment, right." Joe got serious this time. But not for a long time because when he noticed Ben's face which was full of shame and doubts, he couldn't torture him like that anymore. So he lifted corners of his lips and started to chuckle.

________________

"I can't believe I have talked to him, guys!" Ben told his friends around the table totally hyped up. It was just a few minutes after Joe's leaving.

"What were you talking about?"

"Two bloody hours," Tom grunted.

"What took you so long?" Another friend of Ben's asked.

"Guys, leave it off and let him speak. It must have been something interesting because anytime I turned around to checked if everything's fine. And he was shining. I think you amazed him." Jack, the third and the last Ben's friend said, raising an eyebrow.

"Wow. Just wow. I'm happy I made it. A great opportunity appeared and I just couldn't waste it." Ben was melting inside and his stomach was making knots of the thought of Joe.

"Yes, and... for those who care - tomorrow is a BIG day! Yep! Who-hoooh.." Ben was going crazy like never before. His friends exchanged weird looks before they all burst out laughing. Ben didn't comprehend what they were laughing at.

"What's up, guys? What's so funny?" He was looking at them absolutely uncomprehendingly but they weren't about stopping.

As soon as all of them calmed down, Tom asked:

"Well, you have talked about tomorrow's big day. What's up with that?" Ben has sat at ease again and leaned his elbows on the table, resting his chin in it.

"About that, you know... he told me he would love to meet me again and I offered him tomorrow evening's meeting and he said yes so... Oh god, I'm so happy!" Ben looked up at the ceiling while clapping his hands. His friends were sending him those looks again, one of them saying:

"You're acting like an idiot and clapping your hands like an odd guy. What are you, five?"